Reindeers and Razzling
by Robias
Summary: The Nordics prepare themselves for the yearly reindeer spurring. Well. Most of the Nordics, that is. Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway.


Word count: around 1000

Genre: general

Rating: worksafe.

Note: _**Voi peeveli**_ - Damn it (Finnish) | **_keltanokka_** - greenhorn (Finnish) For Emma, because she both prompted it and helped me with the Finnish. And to explain a certain line; to other Scandinavians, Danish idoes/i sound like you're speaking with your mouth full of porridge. Or potatoes.

* * *

"But why can't I help?!"

Finland smiled apologetically at Denmark, while none of the other three nations made an expression at all.

"Y'don't have Sami c'lture," was Sweden's blunt reply.

"Neither does he!" Denmark said and pointed to Iceland, who was standing beside Norway, dressed in his normal dress, unlike the other three Nordic nations, who were all a sight to behold in their bright coloured, multi-layered, tuft decorated clothes.

"He's my little brother," Norway said coolly, looking at Iceland with what could have been pride unless one knew Norway well enough to know for certain that he didn't really give a damn about his and Iceland's relationship. Finland had the feeling he was just doing his best to rub whatever he could come up with in Denmark's face. "It's in his blood."

"And you're all mine! So what!" the more southern nation said. Out of the corner of his eye, Finland caught Sweden making a face – how he knew that the man was making a face any different from his normal one, he didn't know exactly; he figured it was because he knew the other just that well by now – and he winced. He'd have to come up with something, and soon, or else this would just turn into another one of Sweden's and Denmark's brawls.

"Why don't you call Germany – or Prussia – to see if they're free? You always say how you enjoy hanging out with them and that their beer is superior…" Finland started.

"Go stay with the centrals where you belong," Norway intervened. Finland wished he could just go back to being the pleasantly silent. (Actually, Finland thought that Norway's icy expression and lack of wish to communicate was even creepier than Sweden's _inability_ to do so, but right now, he'd have preferred this above any comment the other Nordic might have uttered).

"Hey, I'm a _Nordic_, how many times do I hafta remind you—"

"Just bar'ly."

Denmark glared at Sweden. Sweden glared back.

Finland was going to have a headache soon.

"Now, now, Denmark… it's really not that big of a deal, right? We're just going to help with the hordes for a couple of weeks. It's nothing special, just urging the reindeer. It's very cold, and we're outside all days long, and you always say you don't like our cold climate, right?"

Denmark contemplated this.

"Well perhaps if…"

"You couldn't take it," Norway added helpfully.

Finland cast a pleading look in the other nation's direction. Norway ignored it.

"Do you even know how to drive a scooter?" Finland asked carefully.

"Duh, of course I do. I'm not _Spain_ if that's what you're thinking."

"At least Spain's language doesn't sound like your mouth is full of porridge."

"_What's that got to do with anything?!_" Denmark exclaimed. Norway shrugged. "And if anyone talks so it's impossible to understand, it's him!" he added, pointing a finger at Sweden, who made another one of his faces, though no one seemed to notice besides Finland, who could feel the panic rising in his throat once more.

"Svea's not hard to understand. When he does talk," Norway said.

"Neither am I!"

"You are."

"Am not!"

"Are."

"Am not!"

Finland clutched his brightly coloured and tufted head in his hands. Sweden stepped up to him and places a heavy hand on his shoulder. At first, Finland thought it was to offer his support, and he looked up at the tall nation and smiled, grateful for the gesture despite how Sweden had done his fair share to help the situation to spiral out of control. But then he caught sight of the worried wrinkle between the other Scandinavian's eyebrows (how _did_ he manage to tell that it was one of worry and not just Sweden's usual scowl?), he frowned in confusion.

Sweden bent down to Finland's level, putting his mouth close to Finland's ear. It was a rather intimate act, coming from Sweden, and Finland had to stop himself from shuddering – only because there had been a sudden gust of wind passing by the group, no other reason, honest.

"Th' reindeer's runnin' off."

For a moment, Finland just stared at Sweden, wondering what on earth he was talking about. Then he looked past Denmark and Norway, who were still bickering, and Iceland, who was now crouched low to help his bird look for something close to the ground; he looked past them and caught sight of the fleeing herd.

_Voi peeveli._

Finland was running towards the scooters before he even knew he'd moved, already calling both the dogs and the other Nordics to him. As he started up the vehicle, twisting the handle a couple of times to test the flow of gas, he turned around in his seat to call out to Denmark, who was still standing in the same spot, looking vaguely confused.

"You're staying here!" he called, eyes blazing with the surge of loathing he felt for himself for having let his concentration slip even one second. He _knew_ how capricious the herds could be if you didn't stick with them all the time. He knew it, and yet he hadn't behaved anything like a good Sami, letting himself be diverged by the argument.

Bad Finland.

_Bad Finland._

"And don't you dare touch that scooter! We won't have time to teach a _keltanokka_ like you how to drive it properly," was the last thing he offered the now rather stunned-looking Denmark, before he turned the handle all the way and was swishing over the hills and fields after the scattered reindeer.

Denmark stared after the fleeing nation, feeling just as stunned as he looked. Beside him, Sweden was climbing onto his own scooter, and he turned to his brother.

"Did Finland just tell me off?" he asked.

Sweden just smiled proudly before he set off after the other Sami.

* * *

End note: As a Scandinavian, I've never really quite understood Himeruya's interpretation of the Nordic's personalities and in some cases also their relationships between some of them. But since this is Hetalia and not a study of Scandinavian Internal Relations, and fanfiction is for fun (!), I've decided to go with Himeruya as far as I can.


End file.
